


Sometimes Blood Isn't Thicker Than Water

by Catmod



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Found Family, I do Angus a big emotional hit here, i'll be honest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-02-28 15:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18758797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catmod/pseuds/Catmod
Summary: For years, Angus McDonald has carried a big secret with him. One that could shatter everyone's perception of him. But an overheard conversation may bring him to finally reveal the truth. But will Magnus be able to take it?





	Sometimes Blood Isn't Thicker Than Water

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a tumblr post found here: https://glowbat.tumblr.com/post/184693424071/theory-angus-mcdonalds-father-is-none-other-than#notes

It wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Sometimes in the cafeteria or in the gym, Magnus would go on about how his life’s quest is to find and kill the man who killed his wife and destroyed his home. At first, Angus thought maybe it had to do with one of the relics. It would make sense that he’d take such a dangerous job to stop other relics from hurting people the way he was. But it never sat well with him. Magnus and the other reclaimers always treated the relics with a level of humor at best and slight inconvenience at worst. So if it was a personal grudge, he would take his job as seriously as when he talks about his quote-unquote archnemesis. Then he heard the name of the only person Angus could say Magnus truly hated.

It was in the gym as Magnus went through another rogue training session with Carey. Angus was doing some target practice of his own with his pocket crossbow. Just because he was getting better at magic didn’t mean he should let that skill become dull.

“You don’t understand Carey!” Magnus shouted across the gym as they sat down for a water break. “He took everything from me! He is the slimiest bastard to ever walk the planet! It wasn’t enough that he had nearly enslaved all of Ravensroost! That he was lucky we didn’t kill him when we had the chance! He decided if he couldn’t have Ravensroost, no one could! And I had the chance to undo it…” Carey places a comforting hand on his arm and says something quiet enough he can’t hear as he scrubs at his eyes with the other. He then stands up and loudly declares to the entire gym. “When I get my hands on that filthy Governor Kalen, I’m not even gonna give him the chance to explain himself! All he’s gonna see is my sword in his chest and me saying “This is for Julia.” Nothing more, nothing less!”

Angus freezes and nearly drops his crossbow. All he can hear after that is his blood pumping loudly through his ears. He vaguely hears Killian asking him if he’s okay and he just mumbles that he’s feeling tired and leaves the gym as quickly as possible. How did he not put two and two together beforehand? H was supposed to know these things. He knew Magnus was from Ravensroost. It didn’t take a detective to have heard the stories and folksongs of the hero of Ravensroost. Even if they weren’t from Ravensroost. 

He didn’t have any exact memories of Ravensroost himself. He was still a toddler when he left. But he remembers the fear of fleeing it under the cover of night as his mother tried to hide her own fear and anger at his father’s actions. H remembers his mother warning him as they settled into his grandfather’s estate that he was to call himself by her maiden name Mcdonald now. That his father had powerful enemies that would kill him if they had the chance. He remembered his usually kind grandpa spitting out his father’s name like a curse as they laid his mother in the Mcdonald family graveyard after she succumbed to the consumption brought on by six straight days of running through the woods to Neverwinter with a child strapped to her back out of fear of being recognized on the main roads. He hated his father for as long as he could remember for what he did. So he followed his mother’s warning and went from Angus Kalen to Angus Mcdonald.

He paused as that thought struck him. He was the son of Governor Kalen. The man Magnus hated with every fiber of his being. If Magnus knew who he truly was, he’d hate him too. Probably worse because he lied to him about who he was. How can he call himself a good person when he lies about who he is?! He’s already turning into the same terrible person his father is! 

Angus ran the rest of the way to his room dodging concerned questions from the other bureau members as he passed them. As soon as he had the door shut and locked behind him he sunk to the ground and curled into a ball and cried. He couldn’t be friends with Magnus anymore. All it would do is hurt him worse when he learns who he really he was. Was it even right for him to be the Reclaimers’ personal Seeker? Would he even be allowed to stay with the Bureau of Balance if he wasn’t able to be a Seeker anymore? Was there some way to reverse innoculate someone? Would the past six months just be nothing but static? He wouldn’t be able to do magic anymore! And he’d lose all the people that became like family to him on the moonbase! Not that it would change either way after everyone realized he was a dirty liar and the son of a psychopath that destroyed the life of the most well-liked man on the moon base. 

Angus spent the night stewing in his thoughts. Come morning he had made a decision. He needed to tell Magnus and take any consequences that come with it. The thought of Magnus yelling at him nearly made him start crying again. Shaking his head he got up and got dressed for a new day. He couldn’t chicken out now! 

His resolve lasted all the way up till he got to entrance to the cafeteria where he was sure Magnus was getting his morning pancakes. The moment Magnus saw him from the cafeteria line he waved for him to come over. “Yo! Ango Mcdango! Got a spot here for you!” 

Angus immediately turned and ran back out the door. He couldn’t do this here. Not in a cafeteria full of people. And Magnus would probably be in a better mood after eating something. Yeah. It’d be better to wait until after breakfast. Then he could find a place a little more private to tell him. 

Thus began a week-long cycle of Angus trying and failing to approach Magnus about his secret. There was just never the right time! If he’s gonna be fired after this, he should at least make sure that he’s left as many notes on the last relic as possible to help the Reclaimers. The Director was also very anxious about their training which left very little time during the day to approach Magnus anyway. It would be rude to take up what little spare time he had to eat and relax with such a revelation. And if that meant leaving whatever room Magnus entered as quickly as possible, then he was just trying to make it easier on Magnus that he didn’t have to share the same air with the kin of his sworn enemy.

Right now, he was hunkering down in his room with a book about the Felicity Wilds where the Animus Bell was supposed to be and trying to ignore his stomach rumbling painfully. He may or may not have been actively avoiding the cafeteria like the plague. It’s fine. He has the five-pound tub of fruit jerky from Fantasy Costco to keep him going. He’s about to reach for it when the door to his room slides open making him look up and freeze.

Magnus is standing in the doorway to his room looking so concerned it makes his heart ache. “Hey, Angus! You’ve been holing yourself up in your room a lot lately. Taako said you even me missed your magic lesson which is really not like you.”

Angus flinched and refused to look Magnus in the eye. He knew he missed his magic lesson. It just didn’t seem like it was worth it if he would probably have to forget it all anyway. Even if he didn’t, Taako definitely wouldn’t want him as a student once he learns what he is. Tears started prickling his eyes at the thought that he quickly wiped away.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Magnus rushed over to his side but Angus flinched away from him and tuck himself into the corner of his bed away from him. He tried to tamp down the guilt at the hurt look on Magnus’s face when he did so. “Did I do something wrong? I can’t help feeling like I did something to upset you.” Angus just shook his head into his knees. “Please tell me what’s wrong. I’m sure whatever it is, we can fix it together. Was it Merle? Did he say something to you?” Angus shook his head again. No matter how hard he tried, words just escaped him. “Did Taako incinerate your cookies again? He was really sorry about it the last time. He’s just like a cat when it comes to showing emotions.” 

He needed to say it. It’s now or never. “’ Mgovnerkalensson.” He mumbled quickly into his knees. There. He said it.

“What was that?” Magnus asked as he scooted closer to him on the bed. “I can’t hear you if you talk into your knees.

“I said: ‘Mgovnerkalensson.” He mumbles again as he removed his face from his knees. 

“Still gibberish on my end Ango. Let’s try one more time.” Magnus sounded so sincere and worried it hurt. He was being such a baby about this. He needed to just say it.

“Is said: I’m Governer Kalen’s son!” He shouted in frustration and he could hear Magnus sharply inhale a deep breath of shock. He couldn’t dare bring himself to look at him as tears finally started flowing down his cheeks. He ducks his head back into his knees as he starts sobbing freely. 

“Oh, Angus,” Magnus says quietly in such a heartbroken tone. Angus can feel the bed shift as he started to reach for him making him flinch hard away from him making him pause.

“I-I’m sorry… I l-lied to you!” Angus hiccups between gasping breaths. “I didn’t me-mean to! And I know that d-doesn’t-… Doesn’t ch-change any-thing! I kn-know you- you’ll h-hate me now! I’m so SO sorry!! I-I never meant to hurt you! I under- understand if you want me to qu-quit the b-Bureau!” 

“Quit the Bureau?!” Magnus shouted in shock making Angus flinch. Without Angus even sensing any movement, he was suddenly wrapped tightly in his arms. “Angus I would never ask you to do something like that.” 

“B-but you have to hate me!” Angus screams tearfully as he tries and fails to push himself out of Magnus’s hug. If anything Magnus gripped him even tighter. “Kalen took everything from you! You have to hate me!”

“Stop that!” Magnus says tersely and for the first time since this conversation started, Angus looked up at him. Magnus was crying too. He made big, strong Magnus cry. “I don’t hate you, Angus. I could never hate you. You didn’t do anything wrong and have nothing to be sorry of.”

Angus could feel a new wave of tears roll down his cheeks. He sniffled and collapsed into Magnus’s arms like a puppet with its strings cut. “I’m sorry.” He said again meekly. He never imagined that this conversation would end like this and just didn’t have the energy in him to say anything else.

Magnus shushes him and hugs him tighter. “You are not responsible for what your father did.” He says, his voice tight with emotion. “It’s true I hate Kalen. He is a monster, but that doesn’t make you one. You are such a good boy, Angus. I can say with absolute certainty that you are not Kalen.” He begins shaking and Angus can feel tears fall on his head. “You were as much his victim as I am.”

They sit there for what felt like ages just crying and holding each other. When the initial wave of emotion passes, they sit and talk. About Angus and his mother fleeing both his father and Ravesroost under cover of night when he was barely old enough to understand what was happening. About Magnus leading the Ravensroost Rebellion with his wife Julia. About his mother's warnings about hiding his parentage for his own protection and her inevitable death. Of the loss of Ravensroost and Julia from Kalen's vicious bombing attack when he was away for a carpentry showcase. How both forced themselves to move on after their loss. There were more tears that followed over the course of their conversation. By the end of it all, they are both emotionally and mentally exhausted. But above it all was a sense of closure and understanding. Angus fell asleep that night feeling like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulder. He knew now more than ever that he wasn't his father. He was Angus Mcdonald. And nothing was going to change that.


End file.
